O'Dwyer Family Christmas
by xbleeple
Summary: Andy is invited to spend Christmas with the O'Dwyer family at their home in Connecticut. Christmassy fluffy goodness ahead.
1. Chapter 1

Andy sticks his key into the lock and turns, pushing his way into the apartment, smiling when he sees Sharon's things already discarded at the entry table and her heels kicked aside for her Uggs. He carries their dinner into the kitchen, looking up as Sharon comes out into the living room, the phone wedged between her shoulder and ear as she cleans her glasses. She smiles at him and mouths a 'thank you' as he unpacks everything, getting them plates out.

"Alright Mom, I've gotta go...I'll let you know soon...I love you too, tell Daddy I love him...bye," Sharon pulls the phone away from her ear and hangs up before putting her glasses back on. She leans up and presses a kiss to Andy's cheek, dropping the phone onto the counter, "Thank you for picking up dinner."

"My pleasure. How's your mom?"

"Oh just fine," Sharon says as she grabs a plate and starts to fill her plate, "She said her and Dad gave the time share away to a charity auction, so she was wondering if we wanted to come to Connecticut for Christmas. I told her I would talk to you and see what our plans were."

"I don't know that I have any," Andy says as he makes his own plate before sitting down at the table. Sharon pours herself a glass of wine and gets Andy a bottle of soda water before sitting down across from him, "Nicole told me yesterday her and Dean are taking the boys to his family's for the week, somewhere up north, Sacramento I think...so I'm free as a bird."

"Would you want to go?" Sharon asks as she twirls pasta around her fork, watching Andy, "Emily will be there and I'm sure Ricky will probably make the trip. We could probably make a vacation out of it...spend a couple days in New York before we drive up to Hartford?"

"Sure," Andy nods with a smile, "I think that sounds like fun. I mean provided we can both get the time off."

"Well, lucky for you I have an in with the boss," Sharon grins. Andy laughs as he takes a drink of his water, shaking his head, "I'll talk to Taylor tomorrow and see what we can swing. I know we're supposed to have priority for getting that week off because of the last couple years."

"You know this is a pretty big move...not only letting me meet your parents but inviting me home for Christmas," Andy teases.

"Well, I figure I should probably introduce them to the man I'm living in sin with," Sharon grins before reaching over to steal one of Andy's tortellini.

"So you admit we're living together."

"I had to flip through quite a few of your dress shirts this morning to find one of my own," Sharon comments, spooning more of her own pasta into her mouth, "Though you were inconspicuously absent from bed."

"I was exhausted after dinner at Nicole's..."

"You don't have to apologize," Sharon says, setting her fork down, "But maybe we could start looking at places?"

"Of course, are you sure?"

"Yeah," Sharon nods with a smile, "I'd like to...I want you here all the time."

"I'd like that," Andy smiles back.

* * *

Sharon thanks Andy as he sets a to-go container on her desk before taking a seat across from her with his own. She takes her glasses off and rubs her eyes, setting them down on her desk.

"I thought everyone was going out for lunch?"

"They did, I thought we could take advantage of the time alone," Andy smiles. Sharon smiles back and closes the folder she'd had open in front of her before opening her to-go container to see what he'd gotten her for lunch. Her heart melts slightly when she sees her favorite salad from the deli across the street inside.

"This looks great, thank you."

"Think we might get out of here at a reasonable time tonight?" Andy asks as they start to eat.

"I think so," Sharon replies as she picks up a fork, "If we don't get called out."

"Maybe we could pick up a movie on the way home?"

"Sure, you mind picking it up? I can make sure dinner's taken care of."

"Not at all," Andy smiles.

"I talked to Taylor earlier this morning after the budget meeting," Sharon says as picks her way through the salad he'd brought her, stabbing her fork into a crouton, "Major Crimes is supposed to have the two weeks off for the holiday this year, Robbery Homicide is supposed to take any calls. But he said that he would accept a formal vacation request to guarantee us some of the time off. So I was looking at the calendar and thought that if we left on the 21st and flew to New York, we could catch one of Emily's performances and then drive with her to Hartford on the 23rd."

"I think that sounds great, I'd love to see Emily dance. The boys will be jealous."

"Her tour schedule is coming out soon, maybe we can arrange to take them to one of her shows if she's in LA or close," Sharon suggests, resting her chin on her hand, "They'd probably like that."

"I think they would love it," Andy smiles, "Speaking of I need help picking something out for Christmas for the two of them. I wanted to send a couple things with to Sacramento."

"We can go this weekend? Do some Christmas shopping in general?"

"Sure," Andy nods, "It's a date."

Sharon smiles at him and flips her hair over her shoulder as she takes the last couple bites of her salad, offering the left over tomatoes to Andy.

"You know you could just order mine without tomatoes and add them to yours."

"But then you wouldn't be sharing with me," Andy smiles as he spears one of the tomatoes before popping it in his mouth. Sharon laughs and shakes her head, watching him finish her leftovers. Andy closes both of the containers once he's done and Sharon grabs them, depositing them into her trash. He stands up and dusts his hands off on his pants, "What kind of movie?"

"You pick," Sharon smiles, picking her glasses back up and slipping them onto her face, "Thank you for lunch."

"No problem," Andy winks before heading out of her office just as the team starts filing back into the Murder Room.

* * *

Sharon nudges the oven door closed with her knee as she hears the front door open and close.

"In the kitchen!" Andy takes his jacket off and hangs it on the coat rack before taking his gun and badge off his belt and heading into the kitchen. He smiles at Sharon and sets a bag from the video store down on the counter.

"Smells good, what did you make?"

"Salmon, asparagus, and a salad," Sharon says as she wipes her hands off on her apron with a smile, "What did you pick up at the movie store?"

"Scary movie and a drama," Andy says as he wraps his arms around her waist, pressing a soft kiss to her lips, "You'll just have to wait to see what exactly after dinner."

"Okay," Sharon says narrowing her eyes as she draws the word out, "You want to grab plates and silverware please?"

Andy nods and washes his hands before grabbing the things to set the table. He puts together their place settings before getting them both drinks.

"Where's Rusty?"

"With Gus," Sharon answers as she brings the baking dish over along with a bowl of salad, "They were having dinner and then going to a movie I think."

"They seem to be getting along together well," Andy comments as he serves them both out dinner.

"They do," Sharon smiles, taking her seat across from him, "I'm glad...Rusty needs someone like that."

"He does," Andy nods. The two talk quietly over dinner and Andy offers to clean up the dishes as Sharon gets their movie set up. He gets the dishwasher loaded and started before moving into the living room to meet Sharon. He smiles when he sees that she had put the scary movie in and dragged out a blanket for them to share.

"You're going to have to put up with me jumping."

"I can live with that," Andy comments as he sinks down onto the couch, putting his feet up on the coffee table. Sharon settles into his side and drapes the blanket over them before starting the movie. She leans up and presses a quick kiss to his lips during the intros.

"I love you."

"I love you too," Andy smiles, pressing a kiss to her head as she lays it on his shoulder before turning his attention to the tv.

By the end of the movie they were no longer paying attention, too wrapped up in each other to notice the credits were rolling. Sharon groans as Andy kisses her hungrily, his hips settled between hers, forcing her skirt to bunch up. She pulls back as a bright blue light washes over them as the credits finish and the last final ads run. She bites her lip as Andy looks at her with dark eyes, running her fingers through his mussed up hair.

"We should probably head to bed."

"Shar," Andy groans, dropping his head to her chest, "You're killing me here."

"I know...I'm sorry," Sharon whispers, stroking the back of his head. Andy rolls himself off the couch, taking care not to crush her. He holds a hand out to her after turning the tv off. Sharon takes his hand and pulls herself up, shoving her skirt down a little bit before pulling him down the hallway to her bedroom. Andy presses a kiss to her neck as he follows her into the room before stepping back.

"Mind if I shower real quick?"

"Not at all," Sharon smiles, "I washed your sweats. They're in the top drawer."

"Thanks," Andy smiles, kissing her and holding her close for a moment before letting go and heading into the bathroom. Sharon sighs and unzips her skirt, letting it pool at her feet before she leans down to pick it up. She swallows as she notices how wrinkled it is before putting it in her bin for the dry cleaners along with her blouse. She tosses her bra and underwear in the regular laundry before tugging on a purple silk nightgown. She listens to the shower run for a moment before pulling a brush through her hair and taking her glasses off. She sits on the end of the bed and waits for Andy to come out of the bathroom.

Andy comes out a few minutes later, rubbing a towel over his head and dropping his clothes into the laundry. He tosses the towel aside as well and smiles at Sharon when he sees her sitting on the end of the bed. She holds her hands out to him, beckoning him closer. Andy stands between her legs and smiles as she wraps her arms around his waist, resting her cheek against his stomach. She holds him close for a moment before tipping her head to look up at him and speak.

"You know I want you, right?"

"I know," Andy nods, running his fingers through her hair. He groans as he squats down in front of her, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. Sharon smiles at him and kisses his nose before pulling him into bed with her. She settles on her side and sighs happily as he settles against her back before reaching over her to turn the light off, "Night, darling."

"Night."

* * *

[TBC]


	2. Chapter 2

"I have an appointment after work and a few errands to run tomorrow...why don't we plan on dinner tomorrow night?" Sharon suggests as she stops by Andy's desk on her way out of the office. Andy looks up from the paperwork in front of him and smiles up at her.

"Sure that sounds great, in or out?"

"It's been a while since we've been out, you want to make a reservation somewhere?"

"Yeah, call me when you get home?" Sharon nods and smiles, brushing his shoulder before heading out of the office. Andy watches her go until she disappears around the corner before turning back to his paperwork.

* * *

Sharon tucks the phone to her shoulder as it rings, stretching her legs out in front of her as she rubs lotion into them.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's me."

"Hi, you're home late."

"My appointment went a little long and I got ready for bed before I called."

"So you're calling me from bed?" Andy drawls with a teasing lilt.

"Mmm, I am."

"What are you wearing?"

"What do you think I'm wearing?"

"Nothing at all," Andy grins. Sharon laughs and crosses her legs as she leans back against the headboard, taking the phone in her hands.

"You wish. It's nothing special, a Dodgers shirt that's probably older than Ricky is and a pair of your boxers."

"Almost sexier than nothing."

"You're so easy to please," Sharon smiles as she discards her glasses, "How was your evening?"

"Fine. I went over to Nicole's for a little while, I just got back myself. The boys say hi, they miss you."

"I miss them. We'll have to see them when they get back from their Christmas trip," Sharon suggests.

"What are you doing tomorrow?" Andy inquires, "I did manage to get a reservation for us at 7. It's a place down at the beach, so why don't I plan on picking you up around 6 or so? Does that work?"

"Yeah it sounds great. What should I wear? Dressy, casual?"

"Dressy-ish."

"Okay," Sharon smiles, "I'm just finishing up some Christmas shopping and meeting Gavin for lunch. I might go get my nails done depending on what time we get done."

"What Christmas shopping do you have left to do? I thought we got everything the other weekend."

"Yours, silly."

"Mine?"

"Yeah, did you think I picked out stuff for you while we were shopping together?" Sharon smiles, "You should know me better than that."

"You don't need to get me anything."

"I want to, and I'm going to, so deal with it."

"Yes, ma'am," Andy laughs.

"Will you stay tomorrow night?" Sharon asks after a moment of silence, "Sleep over I mean."

"Yeah of course. I wouldn't miss it."

"Good," Sharon murmurs, looking over at the empty side of the bed, "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"I'll be there around 6," Andy confirms.

"I love you."

"I love you too, sleep tight."

"Night," Sharon whispers before hanging up the phone. She puts it on the charging station next to her bed and turns the light off before shuffling down the bed and sighing as she wraps herself up in her blankets. She shuffles closer to the other side of the bed, laying her head on Andy's pillow and inhaling his scent with a deep breath.

* * *

Sharon winces as she accidentally stabs herself in the ear while trying to put a pair of earrings in, distracted by the front door opening.

"Sharon?"

"Almost ready, I'll be out in a second," She calls out from her bedroom, managing to get the stubborn stud through the proper piercing hole before fastening the back on and putting its mate in the other ear. She runs a hand through her hair and straightens her dress before giving herself a quick once over in the mirror. She grabs her clutch off the dresser before turning the lights off as she moves into the hallway and down to the living room, smiling at Andy, "Hi."

"Hi," Andy replies, distracted as his eyes travel over her body, taking in the purple lace dress and nude high heels she was dressed in before noticing her hair. She'd trimmed quite a few inches off of the bottom, letting it fall in soft straightened layers against her shoulders. She arches her eyebrow apprehensively as she watches him look at her.

"You don't like it," Her expression deflates slightly. Andy notices her dejected tone and snaps his eyes to hers, shaking his head as he steps closer.

"No, no, no. I love it, I just wasn't expecting it," Andy assures her as he puts his hands on her waist, "It looks great...really."

"Really?" Sharon asks as she looks up at Andy, resting a hand on his chest.

"Really. And the color...I've missed the red," Andy smiles, fingering the ends of the locks before pressing a kiss to Sharon's lips, "You look amazing."

"Thank you," Sharon murmurs as her cheeks color slightly.

"You ready to go?" Andy asks. Sharon nods and turns off the lights in the living room and kitchen before following him out of the apartment and to the elevator. Andy rests his hand on her hip as they ride down to the main floor, "How was your day?"

"Good. Finished Christmas shopping and Gavin and I had a great lunch," Sharon smiles, "I got our stuff booked for Christmas when I got home. I can show you the stuff when we get back, but we leave the morning of the 21st, land at JFK around lunch. I figured we could go to Emily's show that night, have the 22nd together, leave for Hartford on the 23rd. Spend Christmas with my parents, take Emily back to New York on the 27th and leave on the 28th. We get home around dinner time."

"I think that all sounds great," Andy replies, dropping a kiss on Sharon's lips, "Thank you for planning all that out."

"You're going to smudge my lipstick," Sharon murmurs as he kisses her again.

"Well we don't want that do we?" Andy raises his eyebrow before defiantly pressing another kiss to her lips. Sharon giggles and pulls back, pushing him away as the door dings open. She follows him out to his car and thanks him as he opens the door for her before getting into the passenger seat.

* * *

Andy unlocks the door and holds it open for Sharon as he tosses his keys into the dish. Sharon sighs and sets her clutch down on the entry table before toeing off her shoes.

"I didn't think it was possible to get so stuffed on seafood," Sharon comments as she turns the light in the living room on.

"Me either," Andy groans as he kicks off his shoes before carrying their leftovers into the kitchen. Sharon follows him and leans in the doorway watching as he puts things away.

"I'm going to go change into something more comfortable. There's something I got for you today that you can open early."

"An early present?" Andy arches his eyebrow as he looks at Sharon after closing the fridge, "Who are you and what have you done with Sharon Raydor?"

Sharon rolls her eyes before pushing herself back into a standing position, a smile playing on her lips.

"Open it, I think you'll like it. And I wanted you to have it before we left on vacation."

"Okay," Andy nods skeptically, heading over to the tree. Sharon watches him for a moment before heading down the hallway towards her bedroom. Andy searches around the tree, not finding any obvious packages before he notices an envelope in the branches, tucked in next to an ornament that Andy had gotten Sharon the year before. He plucks the envelope from the tree and turns it over in his hands, not noticing anything particularly unusual about it, just his name scrawled across the front in Sharon's handwriting. He tears the flap open and laughs softly as he pulls out a card with a vintage Christmas pinup on the front. Andy flips the card open, his eyes widening a fraction when he sees a gift receipt taped from an expensive lingerie store taped on the inside before reading Sharon's scrawl underneath the flimsy paper.

 _You can see what I picked out in the bedroom..._

Andy's thumb strokes over the heart that had been looped together underneath the text before closing the card. He leans over and peers down the hallway before looking back at the card in his hand, his eyes flicking back and forth a few times. He tosses the card onto the dining table before hot footing it down the hallway, skidding to a bit of a stop in the doorway to the bedroom.

Sharon chuckles from her position on the bed, stretched out on her side as her hand props her head up. She runs her foot up the back of her calf as she watches him gape, arching an eyebrow. Andy's eyes drag over her candle lit form, taking in the criss crossing straps of eggplant colored fabric, thin scraps of silk giving her a little bit of modesty. He takes in her thighs straining against the delicate garters that were holding up matching stockings. His hand absentmindedly reaches up to stroke his earlobe and Sharon smiles.

"Merry freaking Christmas to me…"

* * *

[TBC]


	3. Chapter 3

Sharon curls her finger at Andy, beckoning him closer to the bed. Andy's head snaps up before he steps into the room, kicking the door shut behind himself. He walks over to the bed and lets his eyes skim down her body once more.

"You…" Andy whispers, "I…"

"I don't think I've ever seen you speechless," Sharon murmurs, sitting up on her knees and reaching out to Andy. She runs her hands up his chest and rests her hands on his shoulders as she looks into his eyes, taken aback by the raw hunger she sees there.

"I've thought about this…" Andy whispers as his finger slips under a strap, swallowing hard, "Pictured it. And this is not something I've ever pictured."

"Good or…?"

"Very, very, _very_ good," Andy says as he pulls his hand back, "You look utterly delectable."

Sharon smiles and presses her lips to his in a deep kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck as she pulls him close. She pulls back and pecks his lips gently, threading her fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck.

"I love you, Andy. I want you to touch me, to love me. I want to feel you," Sharon whispers, pressing her lips to his jaw. She nibbles on Andy's ear lobe for a moment before pressing her lips to the soft skin behind it, "I love you so much."

"I love you too," Andy murmurs, threading his fingers in Sharon's hair and tipping her head back, pressing his lips to hers. Sharon smiles as she kisses him back with a soft hum in her throat. Andy's hands run down her sides and around to her backside. Sharon giggles against his lips as he grips her behind, letting her giggle turn into a groan as he grinds against her, "Can I unwrap my present?"

"Of course," Sharon smiles. Andy steps back slightly and drags his eyes over her body once again before hooking his fingers in one of the straps of her underwear.

"This is great."

"I'm glad you like it." Andy nudges Sharon back, laying her across the bed before tugging his shirt up and over his head. He kneels in between her legs and rubs his hands over her thighs, beginning by unfastening her garters. He slips his fingers underneath the top of one stocking, slowly rolling it down her leg, touching and stroking her skin on the way down. He drops the thin fabric on top of his shirt before performing the same ritual with it's partner.

On his way back up the bed Andy strokes his palms over her legs, pressing a soft kiss against one of her thighs.

"Your legs are so soft."

"I might have gotten them waxed last night," Sharon laughs, sitting up on her elbows to look down at Andy. He arches his eyebrow as he runs his fingers down her calf one more time before pushing her back down as he hovers over her.

"You waxed your legs for me?"

"Well I certainly wasn't going to expose you to unkept legs," Sharon grins as she pulls Andy down for a kiss, groaning as she feels his finger tip trail along the waistband of her underwear.

"Did you wax anything else?"

"Mmmm you're going to have to keep unwrapping to find out," Sharon grins. Andy laughs and presses his lips to her neck, making his way back down her body before his finger strokes over a faint scar stretched between her hip bones. He presses a gentle kiss against it and hooks his fingers into the straps crossed over her hips, tugging the scrap of underwear down her legs.

Before she knows what was happening his face was buried between her thighs, kissing and nipping the soft and sensitive skin. Her back arches and she gasps as his tongue swipes over her firmly, tasting her. Her hand easily slips into his hair, tightening as she clutches him closer. With no sign of him stopping any time soon Sharon drapes her leg over Andy's shoulder as gentle moans escape from her mouth.

"Andy, I…" Sharon groans, her hips rocking in time with the ministrations from his mouth and tongue, "Oh god…yes! Yes! Oh my god!"

Andy grins to himself as she cries out his name as she lets go and cleans her up before biting her hip bone teasingly, looking up at her with dark eyes. Sharon pants and runs her fingers through her hair, her leg lying limp over Andy.

"You taste good," Andy murmurs, teasingly trailing his tongue over her again. He laughs as she squeezes her thighs together in an effort to push him away. He pulls back, standing up next to the bed. Sharon sits up on her elbows and eyeballs him, her chest heaving as her skin flushes. Andy kicks his pants off and pushes his underwear down, adding them to the ever growing pile of clothing. Her eyes drift down as he stands before her, her gaze becoming hungrier as she takes in his naked form.

"Get up here," Sharon rasps. Andy climbs back into bed with her, his hips settling between hers. He brushes his fingertips over the cup of her bra before his hand slips behind her back to unfasten it, frowning when he meets only soft fabric. Sharon chuckles and pulls his hand back around to her front, helping him pop open the front clasp. Andy groans and buries his face into her chest, moving his lips over the newly revealed skin.

Sharon hooks her leg around Andy's hip and squeezes him closer, pulling his mouth back from her breast. She leans down and captures his lips in a hungry kiss, rubbing her hands down his back, taking in the contours of his muscles. Andy's hips buck against hers, the head of his cock rubbing against her.

"Oh," Sharon whimpers, rocking her hips back against Andy's. She bites her lip as he brushes against her again. Andy repeats the motion once more, watching her reaction with interest, "Don't tease me."

"I'm playing with my present," Andy grins before capturing her lips as he slowly slides into her, both of them groaning softly as they come together. Sharon's hands clutch at his hips as he fills her, her chest heaving as heat floods her body. Andy stills for a moment, both of them adjusting to the new sensation. Sharon pulls insistently on his hips after a moment, looping her other leg around his hips and squeezing him tighter to her.

"Please," She begs softly, dark green eyes staring into hungry brown ones. Andy shifts his weight slightly and begins to thrust his hips against hers. Sharon moans as her eyes flutter closed, her jaw clenching as she lets out a long breath.

"You feel amazing," Andy murmurs as he presses a soft kiss to her jaw. Sharon moves her hips back against his, meeting his pace with soft groans on each thrust. Andy changes his angle slightly, pulling her hips up higher against his.

"Oh yes…right there…" Sharon moans as her eyes flutter open, staring up at Andy with heavy lids. Andy grunts, his hands fisting in the sheets as he stares back at her, taking in every expression on her face as he moves. He slips a hand between them and firmly rubs his fingers over her clit, ramming his hips harder against hers. Sharon gasps, biting her lip as her face colors, "Andy…"

"I'm with you," Andy murmurs as his rhythm starts to falter, feeling the familiar tightening in his groin. Sharon moves her own hand between them, guiding his fingers as they move faster and harder together. Andy watches in fascination as her neck snaps back and she cries out his name, her normally smooth and throaty voice raspy and desperate. He buries his head to her neck and curses as he grunts her name, sheathing himself to the hilt as his release pulses through his body.

For a moment they're both still, only heavy breathing filling the room. Andy lets out another soft grunt as he moves to slip away from her, stopping as Sharon tightens her legs. She smiles serenely, eyes still closed as she holds him close.

"Not yet…" She murmurs, running her fingers through his hair and holding him close. Andy rolls them over, letting her weight sit against his chest as he rubs her back. Sharon hums and snuggles closer. She peppers soft kisses along his neck and jaw before biting playfully, "So…"

"Definitely on the top of my favorite gifts list," Andy rumbles, a chuckle bubbling up. Sharon grins and pushes herself up to look down at him.

"Yeah?"

"Oh yeah," Andy agrees, his hand sitting on the small of her back, "No doubt."

"Good," Sharon smiles and kisses Andy before laying herself back down against him, "I love you."

"I love you too," Andy murmurs, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

* * *

[TBC]


	4. Chapter 4

Sharon sighs happily as she lays next to Andy on her side, reaching out and rubbing her foot up and down his calf. Andy smiles as he drops his head down to his pillow, stroking his hand along her side.

"I'm glad I decided to do this on a weekend," Sharon hums with a grin, "We're never going to get any sleep at this rate."

"It's all your fault, you're too amazing," Andy replies, snuggling closer and capturing her lips in a kiss.

"Flattery will get you everywhere, Mr. Flynn."

"Good to know," Andy murmurs, kissing her again and taking a moment to linger. Sharon pulls back and smiles at him, arching her eyebrow as she feels his fingertips rubbing over the same patch of skin before pausing, "You have a tattoo."

"I do have a tattoo."

"I didn't think you were a person to get tattoos."

"It's the only one I have," Sharon murmurs, looping her arm around her body to cover Andy's hand as it lingers underneath her arm along her ribcage.

"I like it, it's kind of hot," Andy waggles his eyebrows. Sharon laughs and shoves him playfully. Andy grins and pulls her closer, "What is it?"

"The motherhood knot. I got it after I had Emily. I had the dots added after I had Ricky," Sharon explains. Andy moves down the bed, taking a closer look at the intertwined strips of black. She giggles slightly as his fingertips ghost over her side, tickling her skin.

"What are the dots?"

"The purple one is Emily, her birthday is in February, and the blue one is Ricky, his birthday is in December," Sharon explains, stroking her fingers through his hair as he looks, "The black one is a miscarriage I had between the two of them."

Andy presses a soft kiss to the inked skin, resting his head on her chest.

"I like it."

"Me too," Sharon hums, massaging Andy's scalp.

"What about the scar?"

"Which one? I've got plenty of them," Sharon asks. Andy shifts and runs his finger over the scar he'd kissed between her hips earlier in the evening, "C-Section. I'm sure it would surprise you to know, but Emily is an extremely stubborn girl. Refused to come out."

"I wonder where she got that from," Andy laughs. Sharon grins and pulls his mouth back to hers, kissing him deeply.

"Hush, Lieutenant."

"Yes, Captain," Andy grins.

* * *

A couple weeks later Sharon and Andy were enroute for their holiday travels. Their flight from LAX to JFK was rather uneventful and they were able to gather their bags quickly before heading off to the hotel.

Sharon refused to let Andy linger after they had checked in and dropped off their bags, pulling him back downstairs and out onto the streets to go in search of lunch. Andy smiled as he watched her eyes light up as they walked through the snow dusted city, her cheeks and nose coloring in the cold air. Sharon had pulled him into the Carnegie Deli after a while and tugged her hat off her head with a smile, telling him they could make a couple concessions to his healthy diet for their trip.

After a hearty lunch and a leisurely walk back to the hotel, Andy sighs as he sinks onto the bed stretching out across it.

"What's the plan for tonight?" Andy asks as he stretches out. Sharon unpacks a few things and hangs them up on the back of the bathroom door. She turns off the bathroom light and climbs into bed next to him, sitting back on her calves with a smile.

"We have time for a little nap now. I told Emily that we would text her and meet her at the theater for a little bit before the show. I made us dinner reservations at Boulud Sud, and I figured we could get dessert and drinks with Emily after the show."

"I think that sounds like a plan," Andy smiles and pulls Sharon down next to him, capturing her lips in a kiss, "Such a good planner."

"Are you teasing me?" Sharon pouts.

"Not at all," Andy smiles and kisses her again, "So about that nap…"

"What about it?" Sharon murmurs as she looks up at Andy through her eye lashes.

"We got time for anything else?" Andy arches his eyebrow.

"Hmmm," Sharon hums gently, "I think I could be persuaded."

"Well lucky for you I can be very persuasive," Andy grins as he rolls her onto her back before pressing his lips to hers in a hungry kiss. Sharon groans and wraps her arms around him as she holds him close.

"I've unleashed a monster," She mumbles as his lips move down her neck and his hands up underneath her shirt.

* * *

Sharon thanks Andy as he opens the door to the theater for her. They both head inside to the stage area, a wide smile spreading across Sharon's face as she sees Emily stretching with some of her coworkers. Emily looks over and notices the guests, beaming as she bounces up before hopping down off the stage.

"Mom!"

"Hi my darling," Sharon replies as she wraps her daughter into a tight hug, squeezing her. She presses a kiss to her daughter's temple before letting her go. Emily greets Andy and gives him a quick hug.

"Hi Andy."

"Hi Emily," Andy smiles.

"Have you guys had a good day so far?" Emily asks.

"We have," Sharon nods with a smile.

"Why don't I give you guys a tour before you have to head to dinner?" Emily suggests, grabbing both of their arms before leading them backstage. Emily spends most of the tour pointing things out to Andy as Sharon leans into his shoulder, a small smile on her face as she watches her daughter's enthusiasm. Once they finish the tour of the backstage area Emily walks them back out to the front.

"That was great, Emily. Thank you."

"No problem at all," Emily smiles, "I need to get into makeup. Your tickets are at will-call and I'll see you after the show?"

"You will. I thought we could go get a night cap after."

"That would be great," Emily smiles, hugging her mother once more, "I'm so excited you're here."

"Mmm me too," Sharon murmurs into her ear before pulling back and pressing a kiss to her forehead, "Break a leg honey."

"Thanks," Emily smiles before pulling back, "I have to go, I'll see you guys later."

Andy waves as Emily darts back off behind stage before wrapping his arm around Sharon's waist and walking her out of the theater.

"She's excited."

"She is," Sharon agrees as they walk, "She likes you."

"Me?"

"Mmhm," Sharon smiles, "She talked at you pretty much the entire tour."

"You'd seen it all before."

"Nah, she likes you," Sharon grins as they stop at a crosswalk, "Not that I didn't think she would but…you know how kids can be."

"I do," Andy smiles and drops a kiss on her lips, "Have I told you how lovely you look tonight?"

"I don't think you have."

"You look absolutely amazing."

"Thank you," Sharon murmurs before kissing Andy once more, "I love you and I love that my kids love you."

"We might actually be able to make this second chance thing work."

"We just might," Sharon smiles before looking up as the light changes and directing Andy across the street towards dinner.

* * *

[TBC]


	5. Chapter 5

"Mom and Dad are at the store," Sharon tells Andy as she directs him inside the house after Emily unlocks the door, "But they should be back soon."

"Okay, where am I heading?"

"Up the stairs," Sharon directs, dropping one of their suitcases in the living room before following him with her carry on, "Second door on the right."

"Second door on the right," Andy repeats to himself before pushing into the room. He sets their suitcases down and rolls his shoulder as Sharon sets her bag on the bed. She presses a kiss to Andy's lips and smiles at him.

"Thank you my big strong man." Andy playfully flexes his muscles, grinning as Sharon giggles. He shrugs off his coat and drapes it over the end of the bed before looking around.

"This is nice."

"This is my old bedroom," Sharon tells him as she takes her own coat off. She tosses her hat on top of the dresser and shakes out her hair, running her fingers through it, "Can I give you the rest of the tour before my parents get back?"

"I couldn't say no to such an enticing offer," Andy says with a grin. Sharon smiles and takes his hand, walking him through the house she'd grown up in and pointing out the important stops. They both take their shoes off when they make it back to the door, lining them up on the mat as someone knocks on the door. Sharon stands on her toes to look through the peephole and smiles when she sees Ricky. She opens the door and backs up to let him in before wrapping her arms around him.

"Hi honey!"

"Hi Mom," Ricky smiles, kissing her cheek, "Andy, good to see you."

"It's good to see you. Can I take anything for you?"

"Ah yeah if you don't mind," Ricky hands Andy one of the suitcases, "Presents."

"I'll put it in the living room," Andy says taking it off to put with their own suitcase of gifts.

"Your sister is upstairs unpacking," Sharon tells Ricky after he takes his coat and boots off, "Nana and Grandpa will be back from the store soon."

"Sounds good," Ricky smiles and grabs his bag before heading up the stairs. Sharon goes into the living room and smiles when she sees Andy stacking their presents among the ones already under the tree.

"I see where you got your sense of occasion from," Andy comments as he zips up the empty suitcases before standing up. He brushes his hands off on his pants and smiles at her with a wink. Sharon rolls her eyes and grabs the bags.

"Don't mock my sense of occasion."

"Never," Andy smiles and kisses Sharon before taking the bags from her and taking them back upstairs. He comes back downstairs a moment later and smiles as he sees Sharon standing in front of the tree, her arms wrapped around herself as she gazes at the ornaments and lights. He comes up behind her and rests his hands on her waist as his chin fits on top of her head, "It's almost Christmas."

"It is," Sharon smiles, standing quietly with Andy for a few minutes before she hears the garage door open, "My parents are back."

"Should probably help them with the groceries," Andy suggests, letting go of Sharon. She nods and heads into the garage with Andy, waving at her parents as they get out of the car.

"Hi Mom," Sharon says as she presses a kiss to her mom's cheek, shutting the car door for her. Andy heads back to the open trunk and starts pulling out grocery bags, managing to grab up everything before slamming the trunk shut.

"Andy, you don't have to do that," Kathy says.

"I don't mind," Andy smiles as he carries the bags into the kitchen, setting them down on the table, "It's less work than carrying them up to the condo."

"Don't tell me my daughter treats you like a pack mule."

"I treat him like nothing of the sort," Sharon scoffs, hitting Andy in the shoulder when he gives her a pointed look, "You _offer_ to bring the groceries up."

"I do," Andy smiles. Sharon wraps her arm around Andy's waist and rests a hand on his chest.

"Mom, Dad. This is Andy. Andy, my parents, Kathy and Daniel."

"Andy, it's nice to finally meet you in person," Daniel says after hanging his coat up, shaking Andy's hand, "I'm glad you were able to join us for Christmas. Hopefully you're not missing out with your own kids?"

"Not this year, my daughter was going to her in-laws for the week," Andy explains. Kathy wraps Andy in a hug and kisses his cheek.

"Thank you for help with the groceries."

"It's no problem really," Andy smiles, he looks over as Emily and Ricky come bounding down the stairs to greet their grandparents. Sharon smiles and leans up on her toes to kiss Andy.

"The kids are going to keep them distracted for a little bit, how about a quick cuddle on the couch?"

"Sounds great," Andy smiles.

"Let me go grab a blanket," Sharon says, pushing Andy towards the living room before heading to the hallway to grab a blanket from the linen closet. She brings it back to the living room and smiles when she sees Andy standing at the mantle looking at pictures, "You know part of the quick cuddle was so we could claim the comfy couch now and beat the kids to it."

"I figured, but I've never seen these pictures before," Andy says, looking back at Sharon with a quick smile before looking back at the pictures. Sharon tosses the blanket onto the couch and walks over to Andy. She rests her chin on his shoulder as she wraps her arms around his waist, "This is a whole different Sharon."

"That is Sharon O'Dwyer," Sharon says as she takes a moment to look at the selection herself. There was a lot of her childhood and youth playing out across the length of the mantle.

"She's cute," Andy comments. Sharon laughs and rolls her eyes. Andy points to a black and white picture of Sharon and a taller boy in his late teens and looks at Sharon, "Who's this? He's in some of these pictures."

"My brother," Sharon answers quietly as she looks at the picture, "He got drafted into Vietnam. My dad got him tickets to a Who concert as a kind of last hurrah. He could have taken anyone to the concert with him, but he took me."

"You went to a Who concert?" Andy asks with a small smile. Sharon laughs and nods.

"It was amazing. Will and I used to listen to music in his room together all the time. The Beatles, the Who, the Stones…" Sharon tells him, "I was eight years younger than him, but he still made an effort to hang out with me."

"Sounds like you two were tight. What happened?"

"Will never came back," Sharon whispers and shrugs, "I don't talk about him much. Almost 50 years later and I still miss him like it was yesterday."

"That sucks," Andy says plainly. Sharon nods and sighs, clutching him tighter for a moment. Andy turns his head to kiss her forehead before looking back at the pictures, "What about this album?"

"What album?" Sharon says, lifting her head a little bit higher and looking at what Andy was indicating. She rolls her eyes and groans as she notices the red album on the end of the mantle, "Oh god, I can't believe she still puts that out."

"What is it?" Andy asks again, intrigued by Sharon's reaction. He reaches up to grab the album, surprised when she snatches it out of his hands.

"It's from the Christmas Ricky was born," Sharon says, taking the album over to the couch and beckoning Andy over with a firm pat to the spot next to her, "I've tried to hide this album every time I've been home since then, and it never works."

"Why do you try to hide it?" Andy asks as he sits next to her, leaning into the corner of the couch before wrapping his arm around hers.

"It's a little personal," Sharon shrugs as she opens the cover, flipping through the first few pages of pictures slowly, "So let me set the scene a little bit. It was my parent's turn to have us for Christmas that year. Jack couldn't get that much time off and was only going to be able to be here for Christmas and the day after. So since I was on maternity leave already I decided to bring Emily out early and figured we could have a couple week vacation. I was 36 weeks pregnant when we got here, and was probably out of my mind to take a cross country flight with a toddler, but it had been a while since I'd seen my parents and I was going out of my mind being at home alone every day.

"A few days before Christmas we decided to take Emily down to New York and do some last minute shopping and some sight seeing…"

* * *

[TBC]


	6. Chapter 6

"Mama," Emily whines, tugging on Sharon's sweater.

"What sweet pea?" Sharon asks as she runs her fingers through her daughter's thick brown hair, looking away from the holiday decorations placed around the store and down at Emily's wide brown eyes.

"Up pease," Emily holds her arms up, bouncing up and down on her feet a little bit. Sharon squats down a little bit and picks Emily up, groaning as she straightens up.

"Oh my, when did you get so big?" Sharon asks her daughter as she kisses her cheek, "When did Mama get so big? I think your brother is a bowling ball."

"No baby," Emily says as she lays her head on Sharon's shoulder. Sharon sighs and lays her cheek against the top of Emily's head. They scoot forward a few paces in the line to greet Santa before her parents come back, holding to go cups. Sharon thanks her mother as she hands her one of the cups, humming as she takes a sip of the hot chocolate.

"Thank you, this is just what I needed."

"Do you want me to take her?" Kathy offers.

"No I'm okay right now," Sharon says, taking another sip before offering the cup to Emily and helping her take a drink, "How much further does it look like?"

"We're close to the front. Probably another 15 minutes."

"Good. My back is killing me," Sharon sighs shifting her hold on Emily.

"Why don't we pick something up after we get out of here and head home?" Daniel suggests, "We've been in town all day. I'm sure Emily would love to help her Nana make some Christmas cookies for Santa tonight?"

"Yeah!" Emily grins wiggling in her mother's hold. She holds her arms out to her grandmother and wraps her arms and legs tightly around her once Sharon lets her go. Sharon sighs and rubs her hand along the side of her stomach.

"You sure you don't want to go sit down?"

"If I sit down right now I'm not getting up for a while," Sharon laughs. The group stands in line for a short while longer before they get to the front. Sharon runs her fingers through Emily's hair, straightening it out before directing her daughter over to sit on Santa's lap. She stands off to the side, smiling as Emily whispers in the Santa Claus' ear while pointing at her, having a decent idea about what she was asking for for Christmas. The little girl smiles for the camera before Sharon goes over to pick her up.

"No," Emily says, glaring up at her mother.

"No?"

"Stay wif Santa," Emily explains.

"Honey you can't stay with Santa, he's got to talk to the other kids so he can bring them presents on Christmas," Sharon explains, reaching down to grab Emily again, sighing when she turns away from her, "Emily."

"Don't wanna. No baby. Baby go away for Chrifmas."

"Emily Catherine," Sharon sighs and reaches under Emily's arms, lifting her up. Emily whines and pushes away from Sharon, promptly bursting into tears as she reaches for Santa. Sharon shifts her grip to stop Emily from flinging herself out of her arms and starts walking the little girl towards her parents. She winces as Emily cries in her ear, rolling her eyes when she sees her parents holding back chuckles, "Not funny."

"Oh very funny," Kathy says taking Emily as she squirms and cries in Sharon's arms. Emily gets one final flail in accidentally catching Sharon in the stomach with her foot.

"Ow!" Sharon gasps, wincing as she covers the spot Emily had kicked, "Jesus Em."

"Oh!" Emily stops wiggling and crying when she notices Sharon's reaction, "Uh oh."

"Shar?" Daniel asks, resting a hand on his daughter's arm. Sharon shakes her head and shrugs him off.

"I'm fine," Sharon says, "Let's go get something for dinner and get out of here. I need a bed or a couch or something of similar softness to sit on."

"Mama huwt?" Emily whispers as she looks at Sharon over Kathy's shoulder.

"I'm fine sweet pea," Sharon says, braving a smile for Emily.

"I sowwy," Emily says, her bottom lip sticking out with a quiver, "I didn't mean to."

"Oh honey don't cry," Sharon says as she reaches out and takes Emily from her mother, cuddling her close. She peppers kisses to the little girl's cheek and smiles at her, "See, mama's fine."

"I wuv you."

"I love you too, my little sweet pea," Sharon smiles and squeezes Emily. She carries Emily out to the car with her parents and tucks her into her carseat before buckling her up. She gets into the backseat next to her and sighs as she buckles up her seat belt.

"Any requests for dinner?"

"Anything is fine for me," Sharon says as she yawns. Emily yawns as well, rubbing her eyes. Sharon gets her stuffed bulldog out of her bag and hands it over, pressing a kiss to her head as she runs her fingers through her hair.

"Mama seepy," Emily mumbles.

"Sleep sweet pea," Sharon whispers. She coaxes Emily into sleep, leaning her cheek against the carseat before dozing off herself before they even leave the city.

* * *

"So while I'm asleep in the car on the way home, I completely miss the weather report telling us that there's some giant winter storm basically headed straight for us. And my parents completely neglect to mention it," Sharon tells Andy. Andy laughs as he looks at the pictures from Macy's that day.

"What happened when you got home?"

"Well my dad carried Emily inside and…"

* * *

Sharon tugs Emily's snow boots off and takes her out of her coat before pulling the blanket up over her. She leaves the bedside table light on as she heads downstairs, putting everything by the door. Letting out a soft groan as she sinks down onto the couch, Sharon puts her feet up and rubs her hands over her belly as she drops her head back.

"What can I get you, honey?" Kathy asks as she walks up to the back of the couch, running her fingers through her daughter's hair.

"Cider and the tv remote?" Sharon mumbles.

"Of course," Kathy says, handing Sharon the remote before going to the kitchen and returning a few moments later with two mugs of hot cider. She hands one to Sharon and keeps one for herself as she sinks down next to her daughter.

"I thought you were going to make cookies."

"Cookies can wait until tomorrow," Kathy smiles, wrapping her arm around Sharon and pressing a kiss to her head. Sharon smiles and snuggles closer to her mother, draping a blanket across both of their laps. Kathy nudges Sharon awake a couple hours later, folding up the blanket, "Come on, you should get to bed."

"Mmm, probably," Sharon yawns and holds her hands out, thanking her mother as she helps her up. She kisses her cheek before heading upstairs to bed. Sharon changes into a nightgown and brushes her teeth before climbing into bed next to Emily. Emily snuggles closer and opens her eyes briefly, smiling when she sees Sharon. She reaches up and pats Sharon's cheek before closing her eyes again.

"Nigh mama."

"Night sweet pea," Sharon smiles before closing her eyes and drifting off. She wakes up in the middle of the night and untangles herself from Emily's grip before heading to the bathroom. She sighs as she turns off the bathroom light a few moments later, rubbing her hand along her back as she begins to pace the hallway. After pacing for an hour Sharon sits on the edge of the bed, rubbing her stomach, "What are you doing in there little boy? Hmm?"

Sharon lays back down and yawning as Emily snuggles back up to her. She lays awake the rest of the night, rubbing her hand up and down her stomach, occasionally running the other up and down Emily's back when she stirs. She could hear wind blowing around outside, whistling as it hit the house. Sharon looks over as she hears a knock on the door the next morning.

"Come in." Daniel pushes his way in, wrapped in his robe with his feet stuffed in slippers.

"You two girls braving the cold up here?"

"Mmm, I have two personal heaters," Sharon smiles, pushing herself into a sitting position and laying Emily down, "What's the weather like?"

"Still snowing, pretty windy."

"Snowing? I didn't know it was going to snow. How long has it been snowing?"

"Started a little after we got home. It's been coming down. Said they closed the airport down on the news so Jack's not going to be able to make it in." Sharon frowns and pushes herself up off the bed. She makes her way over to the window pushing open the curtains. Her eyes widen as she takes in the amount of snow that had built up over night.

"How much is that?" She asks with a high pitched panicky voice.

"I think we were up to 20 inches. But that was when I got up."

"What!?" Sharon says as she snaps the curtains shut. Her knuckles whiten as she clenches her hands in the fabric, swallowing hard as she feels a strong contraction roll through her stomach, "Dad can you go get mom, please?"

"Sure, is everything okay?" Daniel asks. Sharon shakes her head before turning to look at him.

"I'm pretty sure I'm in labor."

* * *

[TBC]


	7. Chapter 7

"It's Christmas Eve, there's 20 plus inches of snow outside, and you're in labor?"

"And after a phone call with a lovely 911 operator, it was going to be hours before they'd be able to get out here - especially for a 'non-emergency'," Sharon says with a smile, "And Emily decided that was the day to be clingy like a baby chimp."

"This picture?" Andy points to a picture of Emily wrapped around Sharon laying in bed, a look of serious discomfort on her face. Sharon nods and sighs.

"I had everything planned out already. I had my c-section scheduled, someone to take Emily for a couple days. I had pain medication on the horizon…and then my life turned into an episode of Little House on the Prairie."

* * *

"I don't get how you willingly did this twice," Sharon whines as she buries her face in the pillow in her arms.

"Aw mama," Emily pouts and pats Sharon's head. Kathy sighs and lifts the little girl off the bed, setting her down on the ground.

"Why don't you go see if Papa will let you play in the snow?"

"No, stay wif mama," Emily says, trying to pull herself back up on the bed. Sharon groans and drops her head back against the headboard, "Mama help me!"

"Mom, just let her stay," Sharon says. Kathy lifts Emily back onto the bed and the little girl moves over to her mother, resting her head on her shoulder as she wraps her arms around Sharon's bicep. Sharon leans over and presses a kiss to Emily's forehead, "I love you sweet pea."

"I wuv you too," Emily mumbles into Sharon's shoulder.

Emily continues to cling onto her mother as the day passes. As the setting afternoon sun bathes the room in a golden glow she takes a damp cloth from her grandmother and swipes it over her mother's forehead, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"Better?"

"Much better," Sharon musters a small smile. Emily smiles back and kisses Sharon again. Kathy thanks Daniel as he hands her a stack of towels. He takes Sharon's hand and squeezes it gently, kissing her knuckles.

"How are you doing honey?"

"Been better," Sharon says, "Also please be aware this is your last grandchild. I am _not_ doing this again."

"Two is perfect," Daniel assures her before picking Emily up. He presses a kiss to her cheek and bounces her, "You ready to go play in the snow?"

"Stay."

"No, we're gonna leave and go play in the snow," Daniel explains, "And when we come in your baby brother will be here."

"Icky," Emily shakes her head, sticking her tongue out. Daniel smiles and holds her out to Sharon.

"Give Mama a kiss." Emily leans down further and kisses Sharon on the cheek before wrapping her arm around her grandfather's neck. Sharon smiles and squeezes her daughter's leg, thanking her father as he takes Emily out of the room.

Daniel manages to get Emily into her snow suit and boots before tugging her hat on her head and putting her gloves on. He puts on his own boots before taking her outside, laughing as Emily launches off the porch, practically swallowed by the height of the snow.

"Where did little Emily go?"

"So much snow!" Emily exclaims, standing up fully. She grins at her grandfather before starting to play in the snow. Daniel sits on the porch swing and watches her play for a while before they both pause as an earth shattering scream filters out from inside. Emily's eyebrows raise as she wades through the snow over to her grandfather, "Dat Mama?"

"I think so," Daniel nods.

"Oh…"

"Why don't we go clean up and make some hot chocolate hmm?"

"Yeah!" Daniel pushes himself up and lets Emily inside after giving her a good dust off outside. He gets Emily out of all of her snow gear before sending her into the kitchen. He pulls a step stool over to the stove before gathering the things to make hot chocolate. After they mix all of the ingredients together Daniel gives Emily the spoon to stir as he gets down mugs, setting them on a serving tray.

"Should we taste and see if it's done?" Daniel asks Emily as he takes the spoon from her. Emily nods and smiles, leaning over to take a sip from the spoon when her grandfather offers it to her.

"Mmm!"

"You did a good job," Daniel says with a smile, pouring the beverage out into the cups. He looks behind him as Kathy comes into the kitchen a moment later, depositing an armful of towels into the laundry room, "So?"

"He's here, seems healthy. Sharon's doing okay, exhausted. Did we get anything for the baby for Christmas?"

"I don't think so," Daniel shakes his head, lifting Emily down from the stove, "We might have some of Emily's old stuff."

"We can look in a little bit. Did you ever get a hold of Jack?"

"No," Daniel sighs, "I called the office and the house. Office hasn't seen him in a few days, said he'd taken the week off…"

"God he is such an…" Kathy trails off looking down at Emily as she looks up at her grandparents with wide eyes, "such an A-S-S."

"Well, no matter what he's not getting here now, if he was going to make it at all. What do you need?"

"Do you want to grab the blue blanket from the hall closet?" Kathy asks as she sorts through their dish towels before throwing a couple over her shoulder. Emily tugs on her shirt as she rustles through the junk drawer, finding a couple safety pins, "What my darling?"

"Mama otay?"

"Mama is just fine," Kathy smiles and holds her hands out to Emily, picking her up. She grabs the other things she'd gotten from the kitchen before carrying her upstairs and meeting Daniel in the hallway. She opens the door to the bedroom and carries Emily in, setting her down on the bed next to Sharon.

"Hey, sweet pea," Sharon smiles. Emily crawls over to Sharon and looks down at the baby in her arms.

"Oh…baby."

"This is your baby brother," Sharon introduces. Emily smiles and reaches out, running her hand over her brother's head before leaning down and pressing a kiss to his cheek.

* * *

"She fell in love with him the minute she saw him. Now he was 'my baby'," Sharon says, pointing out the picture of the three of them sitting on the bed, Emily holding Ricky with a wide grin on her face, "We were pretty much stuck well into Christmas day. They sent over some paramedics to check everything out but we were doing fine so we just stayed…"

"That's quite an eventful Christmas," Andy comments, looking through the rest of the pictures of the family that Christmas, "What is that outfit made out of?"

"A t-shirt. My mom couldn't find any of Emily's old stuff and they hadn't gotten him anything for Christmas so she made a few outfits for him out of some of my dad's old t-shirts," Sharon laughs, "And he was wearing dish towel diapers for a couple days."

Andy laughs as she closes the album and sets it on the coffee table before snuggling into his side. She shakes the blanket out over their legs and wraps her arm around him, pressing a kiss to his jaw. Andy looks down at Sharon and smiles, rubbing his hand up and down her arm.

"I'm already loving this Christmas."

"Why?" Sharon arches her eyebrow.

"I get to spend it with you. Already a bonus. And I've already enjoyed this glimpse of things that I hadn't seen before. It's like getting to know a whole different side of you."

"Well hopefully it doesn't run you off."

"Not a chance," Andy smiles and presses a kiss to her lips.

* * *

[TBC]


	8. Chapter 8

**Note:** Rusty finally makes an appearance in this chapter!

* * *

Sharon hums as she feels Andy snuggle closer to her, his arm tightening around her waist and his morning erection pressing into her back. A smile spreads over her face as he presses a kiss to her neck.

"I'd forgotten what it was like to wake up in a cold room, all snuggled up under the blankets," Andy murmurs.

"It's my favorite," Sharon replies, covering Andy's hand and squeezing. Andy cracks open an eye, looking around the room before closing it again, burrowing closer to Sharon.

"It's still dark…everyone else is probably still asleep."

"Probably," Sharon smiles. Andy's hand slips down from her waist and underneath her nightgown, teasing her thighs with his fingertips. Sharon inhales deeply and hums, pushing back against Andy. He smiles and slips his fingers under her underwear, teasing her core as he nibbles on her ear lobe, "Andy…"

"Shhh," Andy shushes as he presses a kiss behind her ear, massaging his fingers against her. Sharon hums deep in her throat and arches her hips into his hand. He teasingly slips a finger into her and bites at the juncture of her shoulder and neck, grinning as her hips jerk forward again.

Sharon reaches behind herself and cups Andy through his pajama pants, giving him a teasing squeeze. She grins as she feels him harden underneath her touch. Pulling her hand away she tugs his hand away from her before rolling over to face him.

"Morning."

"Morning," Andy murmurs, pressing his lips to hers. He tugs down her underwear to her knees before Sharon shimmies them down the rest of the way. She grabs the waistband of his pajama pants and boxers before pushing them down. Her legs wrap around his waist and pull him closer with a smile. She rubs herself against him teasingly before sinking down on him with a long hum.

They move slowly against each other, well timed and pressured short thrusts. Sharon bites her lip as she locks eyes with Andy, her nails digging into the small of his back. Andy presses his lips to the underside of her jaw, nipping gently at the skin there. Sharon whimpers and clenches him tight, her eyes darkening. She pushes Andy onto his back and sits astride his chest, hers pressed against his. She kisses him hungrily as she moves her hips rougher against his.

Andy rubs his hands up her back and tangles his fingers in her hair as he presses his hips up against hers. Sharon moans quietly as she looks down at Andy, her eyes beginning to lose focus.

"I'm so close," She whispers ever so quietly.

"Me too," Andy replies, moving his hips faster against hers. Sharon buries her face to his neck and her fingers in his hair. She tugs on his hair hard as she slams herself down on him a couple more times, clenching him tight as she whimpers her release into his neck. Andy grunts softly as he clutches her closer, holding back a groan as he lets go. She moans as she rocks against him a couple times before sinking her weight against him, spent.

After a moment Sharon chuckles before pushing herself up to look down at Andy. She presses a soft kiss to his lips before snuggling into his chest.

"You know, that's the first time I've ever had sex in this room," She whispers. Andy laughs as his hand rubs up and down her back.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously," Sharon hums.

"Well I'm glad there's still some firsts left," Andy smiles before yawning.

"We should go back to bed," Sharon murmurs, closing her own eyes.

After a couple more hours of sleep Andy wakes up in bed alone. He sighs and stretches out before getting out of bed. He straightens himself up before heading downstairs, hearing Sharon humming along to Christmas music in the kitchen. He smiles when he finds her at the stove working on breakfast, wrapping his hands around her waist.

"Hi there," Andy murmurs as he presses a kiss to her neck.

"Hi," Sharon smiles, tilting her head a little bit, "Sorry I had to leave you, I wanted to get breakfast made before the kids got up."

"That's okay," Andy says, squeezing her hips before letting go to make himself a cup of coffee. He leans against the counter as he stirs a dash of cream in, watching Sharon as she continues to make pancakes, "So…that was really the first time…"

"Mmhm," Sharon nods with a grin, the tips of her ears coloring along with her cheeks, "I didn't…until college so…"

"Interesting," Andy smiles, "See I told you, turning out to be a very informative trip."

Sharon rolls her eyes and finishes off the rest of the pancake batter before setting the platter of pancakes on the table. Andy's smile morphs into a grin as he takes a sip of his coffee before helping her finish setting up breakfast. Ricky comes trudging in first, shuffling across the floor with a large yawn.

"I smell pancakes."

"Cause I made pancakes," Sharon smiles and leans up, kissing her son's cheek as she hands him a cup of coffee, "Happy birthday, honey."

"Thanks, mom," Ricky smiles, wrapping an arm around Sharon and squeezing her. Soon after the rest of the family comes down, Gus and Rusty pulling up the rear. She greets her parents and kisses Emily's cheek as her daughter passes on the way to the coffee pot.

"What time did you two finally get in?" Sharon asks as she hugs Rusty before hugging Gus, kissing them both on the cheek.

"Little before 11. I hope we didn't wake anyone when we came in."

"Not at all," Kathy assures Rusty before giving him a hug as well, "I'm so glad you were able to make it."

"Gus, this is my grandma, Kathy, and my grandfather, Daniel," Rusty introduces, "Guys this is Gus. You remember Emily and Ricky right?"

Gus nods and shakes Kathy's hands before Daniel's.

"Thank you for inviting me, it's very kind of you."

"No problem at all, if my Sharon says your family it means your family," Kathy says before hugging Gus, "Now let's eat before everything gets cold. It looks like you've been up for quite a while cooking."

"Anything for my baby's birthday breakfast," Sharon says as she squeezes Ricky's face before kissing him again with a grin.

"Mooooom," Ricky groans. Sharon laughs and lets him go before grabbing two plates, handing one to Andy. Everyone makes a plate from the spread Sharon had put together before making their way into the dining room to eat together.

"The weather is supposed to be nice today, maybe we could go on a walk sometime before lunch?" Emily suggests as she curls her feet under herself, "We haven't done that in a few years."

"I think that would be nice," Sharon says.

"But there's snow outside," Rusty points out the window where snow was covering the visible landscape.

"That's what makes it fun, little brother," Emily grins, "Literally walking in a winter wonderland."

"I'm sure we have a couple pairs of boots around here somewhere that you and Gus can borrow."

"Told you you should have gotten more winter stuff," Gus grins as he nudges Rusty. Rusty rolls his eyes and turns back to his breakfast.

"What's the plan for today?" Sharon asks her mom.

"We can go take our walk after breakfast, I have pasta for lunch. We can take a bit of a rest after that, seafood for dinner, and then we'll head to mass," Kathy plots out, "And somewhere in there the birthday boy can open his gifts."

"Nana you didn't have to get me anything else."

"We always said we would celebrate your birthday _and_ Christmas. I'm not going to stop now," Kathy says, pointing her fork at Ricky.

"Yes, Nana."

After breakfast Andy offers to clear the dishes and pack everything away so everyone can go get ready, waving off Kathy and Sharon before starting to pick up. Once he gets the dishwasher started and the leftovers packed in the fridge he heads upstairs to the bedroom, smiling when he sees Sharon bent at the waist working a pair of leggings up her calves. He lets out a low whistle as he closes the door behind himself.

Sharon laughs and rolls her eyes before pulling the leggings up and putting a pair of jeans over the top of them. Andy digs through his own suitcase and pulls out some jeans and a sweater with a long sleeve shirt before going to take a quick shower. Once getting dressed he sits on the end of the bed to put his socks on along with the boots Sharon had picked up for him before the left on their trip. Sharon takes a seat next to him with her own socks and boots, leaning over to press a soft kiss to his lips.

"Thanks for cleaning up downstairs."

"No problem, ever," Andy smiles before lacing his boots up and standing up, "Do I look warm enough?"

"Practically toasty," Sharon smiles as she finishes with her own boots before following Andy downstairs. She puts her gloves and scarf on before tugging her hat down over her hair. Andy holds up her coat for her, fastening the buttons once she shrugs it on, "Thank you."

"You were made for winter," Andy comments as he takes in the whole ensemble. Sharon rolls her eyes and does a playful spin for him before the rest of the family comes down, getting their winter gear on as well. Once they're all bundled up they head outside, making their way down the front path to the house.

"How about down to the lake and back?" Daniel suggests as he holds onto his wife's hand.

"Sounds good to me," Sharon nods with a smile, wrapping her arm around Andy's as they begin to walk down the gravel road at a leisurely pace.

* * *

[TBC]


	9. Chapter 9

Andy smiles at Sharon as she straightens his tie before running her hands down his chest.

"Look okay?

"Handsome as ever," Sharon smiles and leans up to press a soft kiss to his lips, "Thank you for coming tonight. I know that church isn't really your thing."

"I think I can make it through Christmas Mass without ruining my reputation," Andy winks. Sharon rolls her eyes and takes his hand, walking downstairs with him to meet the rest of the family. She shrugs on her pea coat and flips her hair out from under the collar as Andy puts on his own coat.

"We can take Rusty and Gus with us if you and Mom want to take Ricky and Emily."

"Sure," Daniel nods as he grabs his car keys. Everyone heads outside and piles into their respective cars before heading to the church. Andy wraps his arm around Sharon's as they head inside after parking.

"Have you guys always come here?" He inquires as they filter in with the other parishioners. Sharon nods and smiles, following her parents as they pick out a pew.

"Yeah since I was a kid. When I was born we lived in New Haven still, but we moved to Hartford when I was four and we've been coming here ever since. I took my first communion here, both Ricky and Emily were baptized here. There's a bigger church on the other side of town, but we like this one," Sharon tells Andy as she sidles down the pew before taking her coat off. She drapes it over the back before sitting down next to her mother.

"Where did you and Jack get married?" Andy asks.

"LA, about six months after we moved there," Sharon says as she looks over at him, "I really wanted to get married here, but we had to get moved so he could start school and I could get started at the academy and it just wasn't going to work out. I think part of me is grateful that I don't have that memory to associate with here."

Andy nods in understanding before taking Sharon's hand in his and threading their fingers together. He kisses her knuckles as people continue to settle before the service starts.

Once the service is over the family continues to linger in their pew as they wait for the church to empty out some, having garnered seats closer to the front. Sharon looks away from her conversation with her mother when she hears someone call her name, smiling when she sees the priest sidling down the row in front of them.

"Father Patrick!" Sharon exclaims, leaning over the back of the pew to wrap her arms around him in a hug.

"Sharon O'Dwyer, I thought that was you that I saw. How are you?"

"I'm well, finally managed to make it out to visit Mom and Dad for the holidays this year. How are you?"

"Oh just fine, getting older, but you know how that goes."

"These days I do," Sharon smiles.

"It looks like you brought a few extra people with you."

"Yes!" Sharon smiles, stepping to the side to start introductions, "You remember Emily and Ricky, this is my other son, Rusty, his boyfriend, Gus, and Andy Flynn, my boyfriend."

"Well you've certainly expanded since the last time you came to mass," The priest smiles. He nods to Ricky and Emily, "Ricky, I hope you had a good birthday this year."

"I did," Ricky smiles, "Thank you."

"And let's see, Rusty, you look like a quite strapping young lad," Father Patrick comments before shaking his hand. Rusty smiles and shakes his hand firmly back, "How did you come to end up with Sharon?"

"Um, we met through her work," Rusty explains, fumbling slightly.

"I adopted Rusty a couple years ago after taking him in through foster care," Sharon explains, casting a smile in Rusty's direction, "It's a long, crazy story but I wouldn't change a thing about it."

"Emphasis on the crazy," Rusty comments, smiling back. Father Patrick smiles and pats Rusty on the shoulder.

"Well you definitely caught a good one with her. I've known her since high school and she's about as pure hearted as they come." Sharon's cheeks color slightly as she ducks her head.

"Gus, you're with Rusty?"

"Yes, sir," Gus nods, shaking the proffered hand.

"You know what you're getting into with his family?" The priest asks conspiratorially.

"I have a pretty good idea," Gus smiles and laughs. Rusty rolls his eyes and nudges Gus in the ribs. Father Patrick moves on to Andy, giving him a sizing up before looking at Sharon.

"So, you finally divorced Jack."

"Yeah, it's been a couple years," Sharon says, nervously tucking her hair behind her ear. Father Patrick leans closer and smiles.

"As long as you don't tell the Holy Father, I'm happy for you. You should have done it a long time ago," He murmurs before pulling back and offering a hand out to Andy, "Now Andy Flynn...I feel like I've heard that name before..."

"Andy and I work together at the LAPD," Sharon explains, her cheeks coloring once again. She must have complained about Andy at some point during confession, but for the life of her she couldn't remember why at the moment, "I might have mentioned him before when I've come home."

"Or my reputation _really_ precedes me," Andy jokes, shaking Father Patrick's hand. Sharon smiles and wraps her arm around Andy's leaning into his side a bit.

"Is he treating you well?"

"Better than I think I deserve some days," Sharon replies, looking up at Andy with an adoring smile.

"Hardly," Andy says before pressing a kiss to her head, winking at her. The family spends a small while longer talking to Father Patrick before he excuses himself, wishing them a Merry Christmas before moving on. Andy holds Sharon's coat up for her as they get ready to leave, "How long have you known him?"

"Father Patrick?"

"Mmhm," Andy says as he helps her into her coat before grabbing his own.

"Gosh...I think he came to the church when I started high school?" Sharon muses as she buttons her coat, "He was fresh out of seminary school when he started here, and he just stuck around."

"So should I go to him for incriminating stories?" Andy asks with a grin as they walk out of the church. Sharon laughs and shakes her head.

"Hardly. Not that many exist in the first place, but I was a complete angel when it came to church growing up. Even in high school and college."

"Mmmmm, sure. I think I should stop by before we leave and have a chat with Father Patrick."

"Then we can make the trip to talk to the nuns of Saint Michael's when we get back to New York and see how sweet and innocent young Andy Flynn was," Sharon smiles with a tinge of evilness to her eye.

"Maybe I won't," Andy says, winking at Sharon before opening the car door for her, "Are you up for a quick walk when we get home?"

"A walk?"

"Just a short one, please."

"Okay," Sharon nods, pressing a kiss to Andy's cheek before getting into the car. She looks in the back seat at Rusty and Gus, "Did you guys enjoy the service?"

"It was nice," Gus smiles. Rusty nods in agreement with a yawn.

"It was, I'm exhausted though."

"You guys can head up to bed when we get back. We usually don't do too early on Christmas morning so you can still get a decent sleep in," Sharon smiles before turning around when Andy gets in the car and gets it started. She holds onto his hand as they make the drive home, enjoying the moonlit, snow dusted landscape through the window.

* * *

[TBC - Only one more chapter to go!]


	10. Chapter 10

Once they arrive home Sharon lets Kathy know that her and Andy were going to take a short walk and would lock up when they got home. Andy offers his hand out to Sharon and smiles at her when she takes it, guiding her down the drive to the road. She wraps her arm around his and rests her head on his shoulder, sighing happily as they walk.

"Are we going anywhere in particular?"

"You'll see," Andy smiles.

"Oh will I?"

"Mmhm," Andy nods and continues walking with her at a leisurely pace. After walking for a few minutes Andy looks down as Sharon glances off to the side towards a secluded, wooded alcove she'd pointed out to him the day before when they had gone on a walk with her family. She'd told him how she'd spent a lot of time there as a child, at first playing with her brother, later lounging on the shoreline of a small water feature and reading. He smiles at her surprise as he turns them down a freshly shoveled walk to head into the area.

"Andy…"

"Might not have been buying socks earlier," Andy says with a sheepish look. He'd left the house for a while earlier in the afternoon after lunch but before they had taken a short nap before dinner and mass under the pretense of having forgotten to pack black socks. Sharon had insisted that he borrow a pair from either her father or one of the boys, but Andy had waved her off and ventured out into Hartford on his own. But instead of purchasing socks he'd made a few stops around town before heading to the alcove.

Andy had taken care to loop thousands of white Christmas lights around some of the tree branches, bathing the dark woods in a warm glow. He'd looped lights along the bank of the creek and had lit the walk way he had shoveled in conjunction with a small area for them to stand in.

Sharon lets out a surprised gasp as they walk into the lit area, taking in all of the lights as they twinkle amongst the snow. She turns to look up at Andy, an amazed smile taking over her face as she rests her hands on his chest.

"This is…Andy, this is amazing, you did all of this this afternoon?" Andy nods and rests his hands on her hips, squeezing gently.

"I did."

"It's so beautiful," Sharon says, leaning up to press a kiss to Andy's lips, "Thank you. But…what's all of this for?"

"Your first Christmas present."

"My first present?" Sharon arches her eyebrow.

"Yeah. I wanted to make sure I got the honor of giving you your first gift this year."

"Well you definitely went above and beyond," Sharon compliments. Andy winks at her before digging in his pants pocket to retrieve his gift to her. He pulls out a black leather ring box and holds it out to Sharon. Her eyes widen as she looks at the box, swallowing hard.

"I…I love you, so much Shar. And this can mean whatever you want, as long as it means the future. That future can be whatever we want it to be, I just want it to be with you," Andy says. He opens the box and holds it out to Sharon. Nestled in the fabric inside was an intricate rose gold claddagh ring. It was embellished with a deep purple amethyst for the heart and the band was encrusted with small diamonds.

"Andy…" Sharon breathes as she looks at the ring. She reaches her hand out to touch it before snapping it back and looking up at him, "I…"

"Whatever you want," Andy reiterates. Sharon reaches up and cups Andy's face in her hands, pulling him down and pressing her lips to his in a deep and thorough kiss. She lets him go after a moment and lets out a breath as she grins at him.

"I love you. It's beautiful," Sharon tells him before reaching out to take the box. She holds it for a moment, admiring the ring before looking up at Andy again, "Whatever I want?"

"Always," Andy murmurs. Sharon takes the ring out of the box before closing it and giving it back to Andy. She orients the ring in her grasp before slipping it down her ring finger on her left hand, the crown pointing towards her fingertip. She closes her fingers around Andy's hand and smiles as she kisses deeply him again, her arm snaking around his waist. She pulls back and presses another soft kiss to his lips before resting her head on his chest and hugging him close.

Andy wraps his arms around her and presses a kiss to her temple as he squeezes her tight. Sharon pulls back after a moment and looks down at her hand, smiling as she wiggles her fingers with a small laugh. Andy smiles and tips her chin up, "Okay?"

"It's perfect, it's beautiful…Next to Ricky, probably one of the best Christmas presents I could have ever asked for."

"Well no one could ever top him," Andy replies. Sharon laughs and nods, before squeezing Andy's hand.

"I don't know that I'm ever going to be able to reconcile what I feel about still being married in the church and where that leaves us, and I appreciate that you're understanding and you get that," Sharon explains, "But I do know that you're it for me. I want to spend the rest of my life with you officially married or not. You're everything to me, Andy. I love you."

"I love you too," Andy murmurs, kissing Sharon softly, "Merry Christmas, Sharon."

"Mmm," Sharon hums as she smiles against Andy's lips, "Merry Christmas, Andy."

* * *

[The End]


End file.
